Aireworth Vets Equine

02/01/2025

*Winter colic prevention*

As the temperatures drop this week , it’s essential to take extra precautions to keep your horse healthy and colic-free this winter!
Here are some helpful tips to prevent colic during the colder months:

• Feed consistently: Stick to a regular feeding schedule with quality hay to support digestion

• Stay hydrated: Ensure access to fresh, unfrozen water and consider adding electrolytes to encourage drinking

• Encourage movement: Provide turnout or exercise daily to promote healthy digestion

If you notice any signs of colic: restlessness, pawing at the ground, rolling or thrashing, looking at the abdomen, loss of appetite, abnormal bowel movements, contact the practice immediately.

31/12/2024

A message from Caroline Foalks (clinical director) I just want to wish all our clients and their equine friends a very Happy New Year!
As 2024 draws to a close I can reflect on how much change there has been for Aireworth Vets Equine over the course of this year and how exciting 2025 is looking.
I really appreciate every one of you for continuing to allow us to provide Veterinary care for your horses, ponies and donkeys.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Caroline x

Aireworth Vets Equine - here for you 24/7 365 days of the year.

23/12/2024

☎️ 😁 UPDATE - We are back up and running 😁 ☎️

📵📵We are currently experiencing problems with our phones We are currently working on this & hope to be up and running asap. In the event of an emergency please call 07775860928 . We apologise for any inconvenience caused📵📵

13/12/2024

Yesterday was Christmas Jumper day in the Equine Department!
Trying to get as many team members together for a photo is always tricky when everyone is on the road!

A Very Merry Christmas from all our Team to our clients and their equine companions!
Thank You for your ongoing support over the last year, we are all looking forwards to 2025!

11/12/2024

Sam was a privilege to treat and an absolute gentleman to have in practice Life Past the Post!
We're glad to hear he's regaining his personality and is on the mend!

I’ve been holding off because we’re still not out of the woods yet…
But I want to say the biggest thank you to the fantastic team at Aireworth Vets Equine for everything they have done over the last few weeks for Sam ❤️

Three weeks ago Sam started to behave abnormally. His eating and drinking habits changed, he was much quieter than normal and he was grimacing. We couldn’t figure out why.
A full clinical exam gave us nothing to work with, but you could see in his face that something wasn’t right. A couple of days later he developed an impaction.
He was hospitalised, had an indwelling stomach tube, improved, then his guts began to displace, so he went downhill again. He took us on a week long rollercoaster of ups and downs, never being too sure if the next phone call would be a discussion about ‘when the time comes’.
He started to eat, then stopped, again. A gastroscope later and we discovered he had developed grade 4 gastric ulcers… turns out not eating for a week isn’t good for you.

He’s now home. He’s lost loads of weight. He’s on loads of drugs and anything he wants to eat. But slowly he’s becoming Sam again.

I’m fully prepared for more bumps in the road but can’t thank the team enough for taking such good care of him and being so compassionate at such a difficult time 🥰

04/12/2024

Perks of the job as a Yorkshire Vet!

29/11/2024

Horses teeth continuously erupted throughout their lives, which can in some cases lead to uneven wear and sharp edges developing. These sharp edges need to be removed by rasping to avoid pain and discomfort. We recommend that your horse's teeth should be examined *at least once a year*, in some patients this may be more frequent.

As vets we are fully trained and are legally allowed to carry out dental procedures which cannot be done by equine dental technicians.

We are able to sedate our patients to allow a thorough and safe dental examination to facilitate any treatment needed. Sedation is very safe and well tolerated by the majority of horses, regardless of their age. We can also provide pain relief, local anaesthetic and antibiotics to those patients that need them.

Did you know that if you book 3 or more horses in for a dental examination, we waiver the visit fee?!

27/11/2024

Following on from our competition last week, we're pleased to report the team picked this photo as the winner of our branded Hi Viz Vest!
We know we're biased but 'Through the Ears' pictures really do show the best views!

Congratulations!

25/11/2024

Antimicrobial Awareness Week
The prescribing of antibiotics has recently been reviewed by the RCVS.

As veterinary surgeons the practice must follow strict rules when prescribing antibiotics to our patients.
These are the important points for our clients:
1. Horses must be physically examined before prescribing antibiotics, this includes topical treatments.
2. Antibiotics can't be given out for prophylactic use.
3. Culture and Sensitivity tests may be required to determine the correct antibiotic is used.

💊

19/11/2024

There has been a confirmed case of equine influenza in North Yorkshire
PLEASE CHECK YOUR RECORDS TO ENSURE YOUR VACCINES ARE UP TO DATE.

If your horse is unvaccinated or their vaccination is out of date, please call the office to get your horse booked in.

Did you know?
• Horses, ponies and donkeys can be vaccinated for Equine influenza and tetanus from six months of age.
• The primary vaccination course consists of two vaccinations around one month apart, followed by a third one another 5-6 months later.
• When presenting your horse for any vaccination they must be fit and well or this can alter how the horse responds to the vaccine.
• We can inject your horse in their neck, chest or rump.
• Your horse must be clean and dry at the injection site, dirty, wet horses can have an increased risk of a reaction to the vaccine.
• If you compete, check with your governing body what their specific rules around equine vaccination are as they differ!

18/11/2024

One of our nurses captured this stunner on her way to the yard this morning!

Top tips for the colder weather:
1. Outdoor water troughs will likely be frozen, make sure the ice is broken and removed to delay refreezing!
2. Ensure rugs are waterproof and well fitting. Be sure to avoid over rugging to avoid overheating.
3. Turnout where possible! Turnout encourages movement and good circulation.
4. Feet should be picked out everyday, especially before and after riding. Thrush can be a persistent problem in the winter months.

17/11/2024

Riding safely on the roads is a horse rider’s top priority and Road Awareness Week is the perfect time to remind everyone to share the road responsibly. Here is a video with a few simple tips to keep both riders and drivers safe.

13/11/2024

Today, let’s celebrate the power of kindness. Whether it’s a smile, a helping hand, or a few kind words, each act of compassion creates ripples that can change the world. Share the love and send us your acts of kindness today

11/11/2024

07/11/2024

LAMINITIS!


This horse was presented in February this year with an acute onset of endocrinopathic laminitis and within weeks suffered a bout of severe impaction colic as a direct consequence of both pain and a change in management.

Having successfully treated the colic we turned our attention back to the laminitis. Dedication from both the owner and our team alongside 3 months of box rest and some excellent remedial farriery (Ian Mortimer Farriery Services) the horse is now sound, comfortable and ready to embrace working life again.

This is a reminder that laminitis is a nasty condition and although is most prevalent in Spring due to the new grasses it can occur at any time of year and can last for several months at a time.
If you have any questions or are worried about your horse suffering from laminitis feel free to contact the practice for further advice.

05/11/2024

CHOKE
Over the weekend we have had an unusually high number of choke cases.
Choke is a relatively common condition that occurs when food or a foreign body blocks the horse’s oesophagus (tube that connect the mouth to the stomach).
Choke can happen in horses, ponies and donkeys and in animals of all ages.

Causes, Signs and Prevention methods of Choke can be found in the comments!

02/11/2024

Ultrasound imagery is a valuable diagnostic imaging technique for soft tissue structures such as tendons and ligaments. This image show a good comparison of what a healthy tendon and a damaged tendon looks like. The black hole know in veterinary terms as a hypoechoic area represents a core lesion of the superficial digital flexor tendon which would make a horse substantially lame. Ultrasound diagnosis will help provide the correct treatment and rehabilitation programme for your horse to enable them to recover and is therefore an invaluable tool to utilise in lameness investigation.